Generous donors give Christmas day smiles to more than 100 GISD children

January 5, 2023

Generous donors give Christmas day smiles to more than 100 GISD children

The spirit of giving was alive and well in Greenville during the holidays. GISD Parent Involvement Facilitator Whitney Threatt witnessed it for herself, as she spent the month “playing elf” for many Greenville ISD families in need. With the generosity of many donors, over 100 children had smiles on their faces on Christmas morning. 

With several different initiatives, Threatt was able to determine the needs and wishes from families and coordinate with donors to fulfill the lists. Donors could purchase gifts from a list of items ranging from a ukulele to art sets, baby dolls and roller skates from her second annual virtual angel tree Amazon wishlist. Throughout the month, donations arrived from local donors and others who live as far away as California. The list of more than 70 items was fulfilled within two weeks.

Click here to view more photos on the Greenville ISD PRIDE Center Facebook page. 

“When I started sharing the wishlist, I was blown away by the response,” Threatt said. “Complete strangers were willing to spend their own money on people who may not ever get to thank them. Even once the list was cleared, I had donors reaching out to sponsor individual children or even whole families.” 

As fast as donors offered help, Threatt learned of more needs she was determined to meet. Luckily, generous individuals, churches and local businesses stepped in to help spread holiday cheer. 

“Around Christmas, most people don’t think about needs such as mattresses, heaters or gas cards for travel to frequent doctor appointments as opposed to toys,” Threatt said. “Donors were sometimes surprised to hear these requests, but they were also quick to help.” 

“There are no words to describe the generosity shown to our families this Christmas,” she said. “It was truly an honor to get to be the elf delivering the gifts on behalf of the donors. The gratitude and joy were almost tangible all month long.” 

We would like to express our gratitude to:

  • United Presbyterian Church

  • Providence Class at Wesley United Methodist Church

  • Wesley Martin Administration staff

  • Boxdrop Mattresses & Furniture

  • Martini’s Day Spa and Salon

  • Cathedral of Life Church

  • American Honey Boutique

  • Greenville High School FFA

  • Floating Leaf Entertainment

  • Hunt County Democratic Party

  • And numerous families, groups and individuals who helped make this possible